(see related story)
Intesa Sanpaolo CEO Carlo Messina
said on Thursday that the bank and its digital-only unit Isybank
wouldo review its procedures for transferring customers to
online banking as ordered by Italy's antitrust authority out of
respect despite believing they had acted within the law.
"All authorities must be respected. It is clear that we believe
we acted in accordance with the laws of this country and that we
received the authorisations from the Bank of Italy and the
European Central Bank," said Messina.
"But it is also true that if even a limited number of customers,
and we are talking about 2,000, have not found our procedures to
be the best, we will make sure" that they are improved, he
added.
On Thursday morning Italy's competition watchdog said it had
taken a precautionary measure against Intesa Sanpaolo and
Isybank prohibiting them from switching customers to online
banking without their express consent.
So far about 300,000 customers out of a total of around 2.4
million have been transferred to Isybank in a move that the
antitrust authority says does not comply with the provisions of
the Consumer Code.
Unhappy customers have allegedly reported that they were only
informed about the switch via messages in Intesa Sanpaolo's app
or Internet-banking platforms, with nothing to make them stand
out from other messages, and during the summer-holiday period.
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